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VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA- THE MAGNUS BEAM
THE MAGNUS BEAM WRITER-ALAN CAILLOU DIR-LEONARD HORN TEASER In a bunker several foreign officers watch a radar screen which picks up another U2 plane overhead. General Gamal tells the watchers, "They are not looking for what they are going to get." They activate a beam (FANTASTIC VOYAGE sound effects). The area is around the Red Sea and the Suez Canal approach in the Mid East. Five men with guns try to take over the base--they do not want Gamal to start a world war. The rebels cannot fire their guns due to a magnetized field--no machinery based on steel will move. They are hit down (the leader by a Major Amadi) and two run out into the hall and are shot down (by what looked like regular guns but which, we find out later, are special types of guns that can work despite the beam). The plane altitude is 30 thousand, range zero. The beam hits the plane. The plane crashes into the bottom of a mountain. ACT ONE Seaview theme. A man named Richmond is to meet Crane. Seaview will be off Roscoe Baken (?) 8000 yards off. First they will to 4000 and surface with no running lights to drop off Crane. Chip scans area--no rockets or missiles but they are still losing U2 jet planes in the Red Sea area. The villains know Seaview is nearby. The magnus beam is located in an underground bunker and the entrance is deep...so deep that no submarine can enter. Gamal says, "This one can." Gamal gives Major Amadi a free hand to act. Ski and another man bring Crane in a raft to shore and leave. Jerry Richmond, Crane's contact is on the cliffs. In one hour they will be in town. Jerry has ID papers for Crane. Richmond will guide him as far as the main road and then they will split off the highway. Crane will go to a night club called the Golden Parrot and contact a singer named...Jerry is shot by a sniper and soon dies. Crane takes his robes. Amadi, hidden, stops the sniper from killing Crane. Crane is soon on the streets of the town, dark, shadowy streets filled with danger. He is followed and runs. A fight develops between Crane and two or three others in robes. He has help against the crooks and they run off. Crane thanks the helper--a man in a hooded robe...Major Amadi who avoids Crane's questions with, "Not all of us dislike Americans." Amadi knows Crane is American; Crane spouts that it was that obvious, putting it in a question but realizing it is. Amadi tells him the secret police are swarming the area. He will take Crane to the Parrot. A car comes as they approach the club. Crane runs up steps. Amadi hides but then reaches the car which contains Inspector Falazir, a thin moustached, skinny man in business suit and security officer for Gamal who was also present when the rebel men were shot down and the rebel leaders were arrested. Amadi says, "The bait is taken and the fish will be ours but only when we're ready." Inside is the singer singing some indecipherable song. Crane is on the steps above, listening near the rafters. He watches her but meets her on the steps when she finishes (was anyone actually in the night club? Was it a practice session? It looked like there was no audience!). Her name sounds like Luana or Luano but seems to be Juana Rossi. He tells her he is Jerry Richmond (the syndicated copy sometimes has a VOYAGE promo here with the Seaview on the surface seen from side back with the title VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA over it). Go figure. When the two go into a room, another woman comes out to her number. Crane tells Juana that Jerry is dead, he tells her the whole truth. He asks if she will help him locate the underground. She says she might. Crane says, "I've got to find the weapon or whatever it is that's knocking down our planes." It is by the cliffs near the coast she tells him. Amadi walks in and Luana tells Crane he is the General Commandant's Chief of Security--a difficult role he says as spy for the underground. Crane is not amused. Amadi wants asylum on Seaview. Gamal is about to plunge the country into war. Amadi will lead Seaview to an undersea cavern entrance to the weapon. Crane says, "Forget it." Luana tells him to take him--if he is was lying, he could have the secret police on their heads in a moment when he goes. She will set up the meeting with the underground. Amadi is blindfolded by Patterson. Crane will stay an extra day on shore. Lee tells Nelson and Pat to watch Amadi. Good music cue. Amadi is brought onto Seaview via the Missile Room. Juana goes to Abdul Azziz's place with Crane. Crane will make contact. Juana wants to go but he tells her he will signal for her. Crane move to the door. Juana hides as men are appearing on the streets. Inside, Crane finds the lights on. Men come in from all entrances and surround Crane. They beat him down! ACT TWO Nose: Due East 3 miles is a fissure to the cavern of the weapon that destroyed three U2 jets. It is a violation of all known treaties. At 400 feet it is narrowest. Chip and two officers are in the nose with Nelson and Amadi, who tells them this story. Before he leaves the nose, Nelson catches Amadi in a lie, asking him how they physically measured the underwater cavern's dimensions. He didn't say by diving bell---he lied and told them by diving down there. There are bubbles at the windows. Seaview goes one third and moves 1000 yards off the channel entrance and stops. At the window, Nelson and Chip see a marvelous cavern--very neat effect. We hear ELEVEN DAYS TO ZERO music but Seaview goes silent running, radio silence observed, and moves dead slow ahead. Nelson, Chip, and Patterson go to the Missile Room. Nelson will send the mini sub out. He tells Amadi he wants to back Seaview out. Ski gives Nelson a report. The underground report tells them Crane is in the hands of Gamal. Nelson realizes it is Amadi's fault and chokes him, "Where is he!" Suddenly all torpedoes, metal tools, doors, and all metal become stuck to the walls and go flying (pop sound effects curtesy of FANTASTIC VOYAGE). The lights go dead. The doors won't open. Nelson tells Patterson to cover Amadi. Nelson tells him to talk or Patterson will shoot him in five seconds. Amadi tells Patterson to pull the trigger, using Pat's name and sounding smug. It won't fire. All motors, pumps and metal have been immobilized by the magnus beam. Pat wanted to pull the trigger badly. Amadi says, "Why bother Patterson, I'm already a dead man--just as you are." Police watch Abdul Azziz. Juana meets him at a house of one of his cousin's. Police tapped his phone and captured Crane. The caverns are under the Naval Base--he knows this, "General Gamal, Allah be praised, wants to use the machine to make war and get us all killed." Juana tells him they must rescue Crane. Abdul tells her it won't be easy. ACT THREE Seaview is going up due to the Magnus Beam. Amadi tells them the hull will be crushed but he doesn't want to die but will die for the cause, knowing his intelligence destroyed the Seaview. Crane is beaten up in jail by two men and Falazir. Gamal hopes Crane will talk about the underground to save Seaview but soon realizes, "This man will tell you nothing, have him shot." Two guards are choked down by the heavy, broad Abdul--he and Juana are in the caves. Crane seeing that Falazir is alone, punches him down and they have a brief fight which Crane wins. He stumbles into Juana and Abdul. The girl calls him to consciousness, "Lee, Lee, it's Juana." The passage is the only way out, through a deep well which is a difficult climb. Crane tells them, "Seaview's helpless out there--we've got to help them. No, no, we've got to go this way." They go back to view the weapon from the caves. It is over water, several catwalks lead to the huge device (which looks metallic itself). Pat tells Amadi to shut up as Amadi keeps spouting off. Chip has to hold Pat back. Curley figures scuba gear but Nelson tells him they can't get the escape hatch open. Chip says, "It's hopeless." Crane, Abdul, and Juana hide at an exit into the device, still in the cave around it. They get a guard who passes by the hole and get his weapon--a special type of rifle. Abdul leaves to go get his cousins. Nelson asks Curley to get a copper coil and battery jumpers. They move the mini sub out into the open and open the canopy. Nelson tells Ski he needs batteries from out of it. Seaview is at 250 and rising. Amadi watches Nelson work, worried now. Abdul returns with one cousin (played by Paul Zastupnevich) with more en route. They have dynamite Abdul says was liberated from a digger of oil wells. Juana asks how much they need. Abdul frets over, "The female mind is bogged down with practicalities." Crane notes little cover from the sentries above the rock opening to the device. Cousin Paul leaves to find the other cousins, saying something in Arabic. Seaview at 195. Nelson tells Amadi that he can get the hatch open for a few seconds. Amadi tells him to let him go in diving gear and he will arrange an honorable surrender for Seaview. Nelson laughs and says, "No." In one minute the door will open. (HEY WAIT, WHAT ABOUT THE UPPER OUTSIDE HATCH DOOR?). Falazir has recovered and told Gamal that Crane escaped. Gamal is expecting distinguished visitors so order Crane shot on sight and more guards posted. He wants them to cover every inch and tells Falazir, "Find him or the consequences will be most unpleasant for you." He orders full power on the magnus beam to crush Seaview...they've waited far too long already. Abdul looks as General Gamal walks near the device, "Hoooo, how I'd like to give him a 21 gun salute." He waves the dynamite. Nelson orders plastic explosives and aluminum spear guns for the team going out. Two guards come into the cave area where Crane and the other two are; they walk near a dynamite stick Abdul dropped. He manages to recover it when the two leave. Crane feels they are pinned down. Juana asks, "Where are those cousins of yours?" Abdul looks up and rolls his eyes, "What a burden it is when a man has to be dependant on relatives." Despite this misgiving, the cousins do arrive and Crane wants a diversion for them to attack the machine. Abdul feels a diversion now would be a gift from Allah. Crane begins to move out, "We can't wait here--we'll be slaughtered." Juana grabs his arm, "Lee don't." ACT FOUR 90 seconds is all the battery can neutralize the magnetic beam field. They open the tube door using the attachment to the mini sub battery. Amadi attacks their set up and the door closes with Nelson on the outside holding it. Patterson punches Amadi down and out, "If you only know, sir," he tells Admiral Nelson, "...how long I've been waiting to do that." Nelson orders them to try again and the divers--including Chip, Curley, and Ski---get out of the Missile Room escape hatch. WHAT ABOUT THE UPPER HATCH? Falazir has his men use gas projectiles. Seaview is 50 feet before being crushed to powder. Gamal smokes (figures). One of the Seaview men fire a spear gun into a guard and pulls him into the water. The Seaview men go to the base of the device and plant explosives. Another guard is pulled into the water by a Seaview man, Kowalski, who also brains another guard with a large wrench. He gets his spear gun out and hits another guard who, already in the water, fights him. Gamal and Falazir see this (good action music) and shooting starts. The cousins attack. Crane orders Juana to stay behind barrels. Men shoot each other and fight hand to hand with spear guns. Many of the Gamal men fall off the catwalk, being shot and blown up. Abdul shoots Falazir dead. Gamal shoots Kowalski from above--his shoulder is hit. Crane rushes to Ski to help him. Gamal points his gun at Crane but Abdul shoots him. Gamal crawls to the device to stop the explosives. Crane gets to the detonator, "Hit the deck!" He plunges the plunger down and the device, with Gamal on it, blows apart. Seaview nose: day: at sea: Patterson brings Amadi to Nelson, Crane, and Juana. Amadi still claims political asylum; Nelson tells him as you did before. He will be turned over to Rocan Barren as their prisoner--the prisoner of the people. Jauna explains, "With General Gamal dead, the new government will give you a most interesting trial..." and then with distaste she adds, "Major." Amadi's face shows he realizes the predicament he is in. Seaview sails the surface. REVIEW: This one hits home as planes have been destroyed over Russia. Abdul Azziz is a funny character who helped Lee Crane as he was stuck within the mazes of caves of the Arab villains. Jacques Aubuchon as Azziz made the role especially fun, a very different role than the one he would later play in LAND OF THE GIANTS-GENIUS AT WORK (that of a child beater). It is interesting to note, that while the Seaview men kill many guards, the writers made Abdul the one who killed the leaders Gamal and Falazir. Seaview was ensnared by the beam while the men lead a two pronged attack on the device in a shoot out that cannot be soon forgotten, especially as Ski is shot--but in the shoulder. Note: when bad guys get shot, they usually die. Good guys get wounded, although some episodes do have exceptions such as THE TRAITOR where a crewman (not a crewman we knew) was killed saving Nelson from the bad guy. Perhaps if the Americans were seen to be killing the bad leaders, it would look bad for the country and to the foreign country. This episode, and many other first seasoners and a few early second seasoners seem to be highly prolific and premonition-like as several events happen that mirror the 70s, 80s, and 90s, in particular the downing of jets, wars with Arab dictators who want to further war, and take hostages.